Mannheim Steamroller synonymous with Christmas

Omaha doesn’t conjure the same images of hip hotspots such as Seattle, San Francisco or Austin. But the capital of Nebraska is a pretty happening city in the middle of America.

It’s the home of indie rock icon Conor Oberst and his uber cool label Saddle Creek Records. Cash is king in Omaha thanks to Warren Buffett. The business magnate/philanthropist could live anywhere but he collects his mail in Omaha.

The same could be said for Chip Davis, the founder and leader of the incredibly successful Mannheim Steamroller. Davis could reside in any city but he is based in Omaha, where he relocated to 40 years ago.

“There is no place quite like it here,” Davis said while calling from his Omaha office. “I have travelled all over the place and I love it here. We’re land-locked but it’s great. It’s different. It’s home.”

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Mannheim Steamroller is also different. The new age act found commercial gold via its modern recordings of Christmas albums.

The recession-proof band, which crafted its classic holiday disc “Mannheim Steamroller Christmas,” 28 years ago, has sold more than 40 million copies of the album to date.

That’s more than Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi or Billy Joel. Not bad for an act that couldn’t find a label in 1974. More than 80 percent of Mannheim Steamroller’s sales are Christmas discs.

The fan base is incredibly wide. It ranges from kids to octogenarians. Grandparents, parents and even college kids.

“When you look out at the audience you see a great cross section of people,” Davis said. “It’s amazing.”

However, it’s not all about Christmas for Mannheim Steamroller. The act enjoys some success with its “Fresh Aire” series, which combines baroque classical and light jazz. Mannheim Steamroller, the name comes from an 18th-century German musical technique, has a hardcore base of followers, which will purchase any of its sonic output, according to Davis.

But the majority of fans are into the group’s Christmas fare, which is just dandy with Davis, who formed the mighty independent label American Gramophone to put out Mannheim Steamroller discs.

“I’m fine with those who come out and just know us for our Christmas music,” Davis said. “We’re more than that, but Christmas music is very important to us.”

That should be the case for Mannheim Steamroller, which will perform tonight at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center, since it built a cottage industry around the holiday season. Davis even came up with a cinnamon hot chocolate product, which is a huge seller for American Gramophone.

A quarter century ago, Davis was advised not to branch out into Christmas.

“Don’t do a Christmas album because that will signal the end of your career,” Davis said. “That’s what I was told. That obviously isn’t true.”

Davis, 65, played drums in the group until five years ago. He left the band due to the latent effects of a 30-year-old car crash and the wear-and-tear of constant performance.

“I went through the windshield of a car a long time ago,” Davis said. “I found out that combined with all of the playing I’ve done over the years was causing excruciating pain. I had to focus on other things and I’m fine with that.”

The CEO of American Gramophone is still composing and overseeing all of his organization’s details.

“I have more than enough to keep me busy,” Davis said. “I still go to many different cities, particularly around Christmas. I love going out there and seeing the expressions on the faces of the fans. I see how they react to the music at our shows, not to mention all the lighting and special effects. It’s a great night out for a family. They get to experience some fun holiday music and they can even take us home since they buy a disc.”